Buhari’s ex-minister facing ‘criminal investigation’, Keyamo implies

Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace, has implied that former minister of aviation Haidi Sirika is under probe over the Nigeria Air deal.

Sirika it was who, as the then minister of aviation, promoted the Nigeria Air deal. He had told Nigerians, in 2022, about the government’s plan to float a national carrier.

Sirika said the government would source a strategic partner via a procurement process to take a 49% stake in the new carrier, called Nigeria Air. He had also said at the time that the government would not own more than 5%, while local entrepreneurs would hold a 46 % stake.

In 2023, a plane branded in the colours of the Nigeria Air landed in Nigeria.

Speaking of the probe of the Nigerian Air, Keyamo said, “The whole composition and totality of that deal was merely Ehtiopian airline flying the Nigerian flag. It was not a national carrier.”�

“The EFCC is investigating the deal. There is a criminal investigation going on. I have called for the report.”